Today, Wi-Fi Alliance launched its Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac (802.11ac Wi-Fi - 5G Wi-Fi) certification program. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac products deliver whole-home coverage at two or even three times the speed of older Wi-Fi products as well as higher bandwidth.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac operates in 5 GHz, where devices can make use of increased bandwidth to achieve a higher data rate. Most Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac products are also expected to be dual-band, operating in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and to support Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. Dual-band networks double capacity, because devices can use the less crowded 5 GHz band for high performance applications, and the 2.4 GHz band for basic needs.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac products bring additional capacity, performance, and robustness. Networks based on Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac can deliver data rates up to more than double those of a typical Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n network. For users, this means a network can support simultaneously streaming multiple HD-quality videos to multiple devices.

In addition, more devices can be simultaneously connected to a Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac network without reducing performance. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac products can also deliver a higher-quality user experience with applications such as gaming or streaming music, where even the slightest delay can have a detrimental impact.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac mobile devices, tablets, laptops, consumer electronics products and networking gear will be available in the second half of this year.

The first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac products which form the test suite for the certification program are: